Coal Region News

HARRISBURG – Rep. Tim Twardzik (R-Schuylkill) and Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) have made significant progress on a crucial anti-blight bill aimed at tackling the challenges posed by vacant and blighted properties across Pennsylvania.

Twardzik expressed the importance of addressing blight, stating, "Blighted properties affect every community across the Commonwealth, devaluing neighbors’ properties, increasing crime, and posing health and safety risks." He highlighted the significance of empowering municipalities with the ability to create registries to combat these issues effectively.

Echoing Twardzik's sentiment, Sen. Dave Argall emphasized the detrimental impact of blighted properties on communities, saying, “Blighted, decaying, rat-infested buildings can infect a community like the plague by straining property values, breeding crime, and posing a serious threat to our safety and well-being.”

The proposed Vacant Property Registration Act, championed by Twardzik, aims to equip municipalities with tools to enforce registration fees on vacant properties, maintain a list of such properties, and penalize non-compliance. The bill also seeks to shift the responsibility of addressing vacancy and blight from responsible property owners to those neglecting their properties.

Additionally, the legislation includes provisions for the creation of a fund for remediation efforts and education about the impacts of vacancy and blight on communities, further underlining the comprehensive approach to combatting blight.

In a collaborative effort, Twardzik and Argall have worked towards advancing this bipartisan bill, with Argall commending Twardzik's dedication in pushing the legislation forward, stating, “Rep. Twardzik has done an excellent job pushing this bipartisan bill forward.”

The bill has garnered support and approval from the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee, marking a significant step towards addressing the blight issue in Pennsylvania. The legislation now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

Furthermore, the panel also approved House Bill 1207, which would enable municipalities of any size to establish land banks, providing an additional mechanism to address blight in communities across the state.